Pujol and Montenegro "Technology and Feminism"
Abstract Women's education and women in high employment positions have always been a problem that many have been aware of. However, in recent years an emerging issue in gender inequality consists of the digital gender gap. The term "digital divide" had an original meaning to divide technophiles and technophobics. In recent years it has been used to describe the divide between the rich and poor, unequal distribution within school systems and those within access of new digital technologies. The digital divide is also observed between genders in terms of use. Some variables include inputs (health, social and economic status), outcomes within knowledge society (participation in science, technology and innovation) and supporting policies (knowledge society; gender and gender budgets, science and engineering). The United Nations Millennium Development Goals established in the year 1990 has aimed to improve gender equality. The mass shift in business relations from face-to-face interactions to the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) calls for educating more women on these technologies by the government which would " intensify the penetration of capitalist logic within characteristic human traits" (176). In order to get women to top ranking positions it is necessary that they first obtain the skills in this sense being technical. The combination of contemporary capitalism and unstable markets call for constantly learning new skills. Various social policies are working towards dealing with the digital divide but in a way that does not directly deal with the issues at hand. Within the gender divide, women are projected to partake in careers that are becoming devalues. Thus the authors farther argue the importance of women engaging in technologies to increase competitiveness with their male counterparts. The authors put a lot of focus on access to technology which is a major issue to decreasing the gender divide. However, not all forms of technology work in favor of women and in some cases they work against women. From the feminist perspective, the digital divide is not how we look at the difference between men and women but the political systematic differences set in place that separate genders. Little research on the digital divide risks hiding inequalities specifically within genders. Overall, cultural constructs are responsible for inequality in ICTs. The key is to finding new solutions to the old problem of gender inequality. Key Concepts Themes: Gender Inequality Pujol and Montenegro often mention gender inequality in education throughout the reading that is reflective on women's roles in the workplace afterwards. Societal norms and constructs or those that contribute the most to inequality that keeps women from being equal counterparts to men especially in regards to technology. It is important to redefine cultural codes in the mindset of men and women at a young age to combat the gender divide. Capitalism Technology consumption has alter material reality and the way the economy is regulated. Network Capitalism: "Network capitalism is organized by knowledge, consumes knowledge, and produces commodities that incorporate knowledge." Post-Fordist Model: The post fordist model refers to the time period in which economies where decentralized and flexible. Feminism According to the feminist sector of the reading, the reason women lag behind men in technology is due to systematic gender inequality. Part of the issue is the divide of both men and women reinforcing inequalities. The feminists' approach is solving the divide is clearly defined by Pujol and Montenegro as: * a) that establishes a technological determinism where access to technology is equivalent to development; * b) where social transformation is achieved by becoming technologically active; * c) in which ICT can increase or decrease the various social gaps; * d) that does not develop a critical genealogy of how we arrive at the digital divide; * e) that considers the elimination of the “digital divide” a universal goal independent of social context; * f) the development of which is suspiciously linked to business interests and the strengthening of intellectual property; and * g) which implies a mode of action and intervention that is extremely individualistic. Examples Amy Poehler's Smart Girls Smart Girls is a YouTube series created by Amy Poehler to empower girls through the technology medium of YouTube. Poehler's YouTube series provides a medium to connect school aged girls. By encouraging girls to seek education in, for example, the STEM sector, it is a positive attempt to reduce the gender inequality gap.https://www.youtube.com/user/smartgirls/ Malala Yousafzai After being shot in the head by Pakistani militants for seeking to obtain an education, she had become the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner for her efforts to expand female education globally. Unfortunate circumstances lead to Malala being able to share her ideas on a global platform. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23241937 Further Readings # Haraway, Donna. “A Manifesto for Cyborgs: Science, Technology, and Socialist Feminism in the 1980s”Originally published in 1985, this essay addresses the socialist-feminist point of view in the 1980's that remains relevant today in its approach to political and cultural debates. # Alexander, J. and Banks, W. (2004). “Sexualities, Technologies, and the Teaching of Writing: A Critical Overview.” Computers and Composition 21(3), 273-293. The authors review literature and critique their views on sexuality in computer-assisted rhetoric as well as develop constructions on sexuality in our culture. # [http://wam.wikia.com/wiki/DeVoss_%22Rereading_Cyborgs_Women%22 DeVoss, Danielle. “Rereading Cyborg(?) Women: The Visual Rhetoric of Images of Cyborg (and Cyber) Bodies on the World Wide Web Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 3''(5), 835-845.] DeVoss argues that images of men and women on the world wide world as "cyborgs" are representations of cyber bodies. # Pullen, Christopher and Cooper, Margaret. (2010). ''LGBT Identity and Online New Media. ''New York: Routledge.A collection of essays that explain media identity within the LGBT community. # [http://wam.wikia.com/wiki/Bruno_%22Attempting_to_Balance_Wiki-Feminism%22?venotify=created Bruno, W. Attempting to Balance Wiki-Feminism: A Case Study. ''Academic Questions. 26, 1, 30-47, Mar. 1, 2013.]Bruno explains personal experiences with editing Wikipedia pages in which they are frequently removed in relation to politics. Keywords Technology Feminism Gender Performativity Subjectivity Citations Haraway, Donna. “A Manifesto for Cyborgs: Science, Technology, and Socialist Feminism in the 1980s” Alexander, J. and Banks, W. (2004). “Sexualities, Technologies, and the Teaching of Writing: A Critical Overview.” Computers and Composition 21(3), 273-293. DeVoss, Danielle. “Rereading Cyborg(?) Women: The Visual Rhetoric of Images of Cyborg (and Cyber) Bodies on the World Wide Web''Cyberpsychology & Behavior'', 3''(5), 835-845. Pullen, Christopher and Cooper, Margaret. (2010). ''LGBT Identity and Online New Media. ''New York: Routledge. Bruno, W. Attempting to Balance Wiki-Feminism: A Case Study. ''Academic Questions. 26, 1, 30-47, Mar. 1, (2013). Pujol, J., & Montenegro, M. (2015). Technology and Feminism: A Strange Couple. Revista De Estudios Sociales, (51), 173-185. "Profile: Malala Yousafzai." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. Poehler, Amy. "Amy Poehler's Smart Girls." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. Category:Reading